Asia’s embrace of refurbished smartphones is a trend to dial into in 2025

This growing market shows that the fears and concerns surrounding refurbished smartphones are in retreat. Tanzania, for instance, was still issuing safety warnings over second-hand smartphones in 2023. Worries over device overheating, battery performance, data security and more had, for many years, dissuaded people from buying used phones.

But the refurbished phone market has matured and become well-defined. It has even spawned its own vocabulary: these phones are not old, rather, they are pre-owned, reconditioned, refreshed and recertified.

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Manufacturer-certified refurbished phones have the advantage of assuring customers that their purchases are really wiped clean of data, with the battery and any defective part replaced. These phones are often cheaper, in mint condition and have been rigorously quality-tested. Many also come with a warranty, typically for a year. They can even help the companies themselves expand their customer base.